Notions And Representations Of Epilepsy Syndrome: An Exploratory StudyWith Female Teachers In Campania

Aims: investigate in female teachers: 1 - information and knowledge on epilepsy syndrome; 2 - representations of the quality of life for person with epilepsy; 3 - representations of the interpersonal relationships to student with epilepsy and his classmates. Methodology: ad hoc questionnaire, with 33 multiple choice answers. Participants: the sample consisted of 113 female teachers with a mean age of 44.4. Variables investigated: work seniority, experience with epileptic students, disability teacher or curricular teacher. Results: 1) information and knowledge about epilepsy: teachers with work seniority > 11 years (73%) showed a more than adequate knowledge of information about epilepsy. Moreover, in case of seizure in the classroom, first aid is to call an ambulance instead of administer a life-saving drugs (45%); 2) representations on the quality of life: teachers, who have had an a real experience (34%), represent the epileptic student as more limited in the possibilities for getting married ( 84%), having children (75%), finding a job (55%) and playing sport (48%); 3) representations on the relationship with classmates: teachers, who had a student with epilepsy, report interpersonal relationships difficult with his classmates (23%). Also they say to have inadequate knowledge of educational strategies to integrate the epileptic student with his classmates (37%). Finally, there aren’t significant differences between the answers of disability teacher and curricular teacher.